First look (http://www.comicscontinuum.com/)
Hi-Res (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/bravebold/media/gallery/01.jpg)
Looks very retro...
Well, I certainly like the inclusion of Aquaman in the list of guest stars, but what's with the Golden Age Green Arrow alongside the new Blue Beetle? I'm sure they aren't following continuity (goodness I hope not), but that's still a weird choice, especially considering the greater visibility GA has had recently.
QuoteThe series, consisting of 30-minute episodes, will be produced by James Tucker and Linda M. Steiner -- the team behind Legion of Super Heroes...
Thats where it lost me.
Yellow-circle Batman! Cool! :D
Quote from: BentonGrey on April 03, 2008, 11:05:17 AM
Well, I certainly like the inclusion of Aquaman in the list of guest stars, but what's with the Golden Age Green Arrow alongside the new Blue Beetle? I'm sure they aren't following continuity (goodness I hope not), but that's still a weird choice, especially considering the greater visibility GA has had recently.
I notice that too, maybe the storyline is going to be based on different time periods?
Did that Batman character design crawl out of someone's butt? Because it kinda looks like it did.
It better have Robin in it! :angry: And I hope it's like the original series with Adam West!
Quote from: JKCarrier on April 03, 2008, 12:53:35 PM
Yellow-circle Batman! Cool! :D
To each their own I guess. I never did care for the yellow circle bat symbol. :mjbdead
-MJB
Quote from: style on April 03, 2008, 03:24:51 PM
It better have Robin in it! :angry: And I hope it's like the original series with Adam West!
please let that monstrosity die already
Can't say this is exciting me at the moment. Looks annoyingly nostalgic.
Director Ben Jones put up some teasers about Batman: The Brave and The Bold on his blog:
http://hamfist.blogspot.com/
QuoteOnce again, the Internet has unmasked my latest [secret project]. This one's called Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and I'm one of three directors on it, along with Brandon Vietti and Michael Chang, working for James Tucker, of Legion of Superheroes/Justice League/Batman/the-drawing-at-the-end-of-this-post fame, and Sam Register, executive producer of all kinds of awesome shows that you've spent so much time enjoying like Teen Titans, Transformers Animated, Clone Wars, Ben 10, and so on.
Also, here's a list of characters and guest-stars that will be appearing in the show - self-redacted, because 1/ I'm not allowed to spill these particular beans yet and 2/ it will annoy Colin. Keep checking in from time to time, though, and I will be unredacting names selectively, as I have been doing for my previous Transformers and Legion posts.
I wish I could talk about it, because we have [secret character], [secret character], and [secret character] appearing. How awesome is that? Also Blue Beetle (psst - it's [secret character] in the suit) and the new [secret character]. We also have Green Arrow and [secret character], rocking a decidedly more Silver Age appearance than they have in the comics currently. We even have some really obscure characters popping up, like [secret character], [secret character] and fan favorite [secret character]. Also James has promised that we'll finally see the return of [secret character] to the world of animation, which makes me happy, since I thought he should have been in JLU. Not to mention tons of [secret characters], including one who's never been animated before. And of course, my favorite, [secret character].
Oh, and the guest star voices! Can you believe we got [secret guest star]? We also got [secret guest star], reprising his role as [secret character], and [secret guest star], but not in the role you might expect (he'll actually be playing [secret character]). Plus the return of many familiar faces from shows I've worked on in the past, like [secret guest star], [secret guest star], [secret guest star], [secret guest star], [secret guest star] and [secret guest star]. So you can see why I would be excited!
Anyhow, the show is apparently airing Fridays on Cartoon Network, but not until the Fall. I will probably forget to remind you when it airs, but please, check it out!
Brandon Vietti also mentions it in his blog:
http://blogbattery.blogspot.com/
QuoteI'm a huge Batman fan who's been lucky enough to work behind the scenes on both previous versions of Batman animation. I have to admit I was at the point where I thought Batman couldn't possibly be relaunched in any way that could elicit anything more than an eye roll out of me. But James, Sam, and Linda cooked up a new angle on the franchise that not only made me excited about Batman again, but actually made me even more excited about my career in animation. The Brave and the Bold is completely different and totally FUN! Just wait, you'll see.
I don't care for the emphasis on FUN FUN FUN (I'm getting a distinctly wacky vibe that probably won't fly for my Batman tastes), or the efforts to differentiate it from B:TAS, as I'd rather they just plop this series in between B:TAS and JLU continuity wise, or at least after TAS if not JLU.......HOWEVER, the tons of guest stars could be fairly awesome. On the one hand, some of these guys worked on JLU and B:TAS......on the other hand, they ALSO worked on The Batman. Legion actually doesn't bother me, as it seemed like they had mostly learned their lesson by the end there. I'm really hoping that Aquaman is the [secret character] from this sentence: "We also have Green Arrow and [secret character], rocking a decidedly more Silver Age appearance than they have in the comics currently" as opposed to this one: "and the new [secret character]".
This looks like a return to Adam West era-Batman, and is therefore something I think should be burned and never spoken of again. It was a good show in it's time, but the Batman fanbase as a whole has evolved beyond Bat Shark Repellant, methinks.
Quote from: Tomato on April 04, 2008, 11:01:35 PM
This looks like a return to Adam West era-Batman, and is therefore something I think should be burned and never spoken of again. It was a good show in it's time...
No, it wasn't.
I have to say I am kind of looking forward to this show. I think Bats is due an injection of lightness, and as a father of a seven year old superhero and Batman fanatic, I won't mind some superhero stuff a bit more geared for his age level. We've rented the Adam West movie and the 1970s Filmation cartoon (voiced by West and Ward), and we both enjoyed them. I enjoyed the LOSH series, though it did fall of in the second season. And the new Spec Spidey seems to be made along similar lines. Honestly, I have to say that while I usually favor the "Dark Knight" approach to the character, I sometimes enjoy going beck to those goofy days of the late golden/early silver ages. Those stories may not engross me like more recent fare, but they make me smile. Just a different type of entertainment, in my opinion. And hey, it has nothing to do with continuity.
Quote from: Talavar on April 05, 2008, 08:39:42 AM
Quote from: Tomato on April 04, 2008, 11:01:35 PM
This looks like a return to Adam West era-Batman, and is therefore something I think should be burned and never spoken of again. It was a good show in it's time...
No, it wasn't.
As a kid I loved it. But I have pretty much no interest to see anything like it now.
Quote from: Podmark on April 05, 2008, 11:55:54 AM
Quote from: Talavar on April 05, 2008, 08:39:42 AM
Quote from: Tomato on April 04, 2008, 11:01:35 PM
This looks like a return to Adam West era-Batman, and is therefore something I think should be burned and never spoken of again. It was a good show in it's time...
No, it wasn't.
As a kid I loved it. But I have pretty much no interest to see anything like it now.
I guess I didn't see it young enough, but even as a kid I thought it was pretty bad. But it wasn't a good show for it's time, it was a joke. A punchline built around the premise that superheroes sure are silly, which is part of why it's popularity peaked and then died in a relatively short time period.
The new Spectacular Spider-man cartoon isn't at all along the lines of the Adam West show. It may be along the same lines as this new Batman show, which wouldn't be so bad, but it's still wrong for Batman. Spidey is just a better all-ages character than Batman: he's younger, he's less tormented (generally speaking), and his origin, while including some off-camera violence, doesn't involve witnessing a brutal murder as a child.
Quote from: Talavar on April 05, 2008, 02:55:00 PM
The new Spectacular Spider-man cartoon isn't at all along the lines of the Adam West show. It may be along the same lines as this new Batman show, which wouldn't be so bad, but it's still wrong for Batman. Spidey is just a better all-ages character than Batman: he's younger, he's less tormented (generally speaking), and his origin, while including some off-camera violence, doesn't involve witnessing a brutal murder as a child.
Sorry if I was being unclear. I wasn't trying to suggest that Spec Spidey was like the 60s Batman live action show. Rather, I was trying to say that it seems similar (to me, anyway) to the recently ended Legion of Super Heroes show, which (in the first season, anyway) was a bit lighter in tone than either TAS family of shows or even The Batman. Spec Spidey seems a lot lighter than either the MTV digital Spidey cartoon, or the Fox toon that ran on Fox in the 90s. I would never say that it was a full on attempt to capture the camp of the West Batman series.
Whoa... I had no idea everybody hated fun Batman so much.
Personally? I love the 60s series. I think it's fantastic. It's not "real" Batman, but so what? I think there's plenty of room for lots of interpretations of characters, especially those as well known as Batman. This could just end up being fun, energetic, and enjoyable.
If they used a completely different hero, would that make people feel better? Say a Blue and Gold cartoon? Does Batman always have to be dark and serious? How about if they had JLU era Batman? Constantly annoyed at everybody's perceived incompetence? Would that be better?
Anyhow, don't knock it just because it isn't B:TAS. There probably won't be another Batman like that for a good long time. In the mean time, just lighten up a little.
Quote from: UnkoMan on April 05, 2008, 09:39:28 PM
Whoa... I had no idea everybody hated fun Batman so much.
Personally? I love the 60s series. I think it's fantastic. It's not "real" Batman, but so what? I think there's plenty of room for lots of interpretations of characters, especially those as well known as Batman. This could just end up being fun, energetic, and enjoyable.
If they used a completely different hero, would that make people feel better? Say a Blue and Gold cartoon? Does Batman always have to be dark and serious? How about if they had JLU era Batman? Constantly annoyed at everybody's perceived incompetence? Would that be better?
Anyhow, don't knock it just because it isn't B:TAS. There probably won't be another Batman like that for a good long time. In the mean time, just lighten up a little.
I agree, but I'm coming to realize that some comic fans want their depictions of the character portrayed every single time something is made. :P
Just to add my two cents, Batman is a character I rarely enjoy. His general attitude in the comics and his, "know it all before you do and I don't even need panel time or space to show when im figuring this stuff out," approach that certain writers use annoy me. Batman in JL/JLU annoyed me at times because they made use of the previously mentioned method. So, I'm not all that against a slightly newer approach for the character for a, get this, cartoon for kids to potentially enjoy.
Some comic fans need to jump out of that "bash bash bash" frame of mind when they see a comic revamped as a cartoon and think about the intended audience. I'm not opposed to them lightening up Batman for the kiddies to enjoy because they do need something superhero-related to latch onto. In case we all forgot, mainstream comics aren't super kid friendly anymore so if they want to get their batman fix and not be pounded with all the drama and darkness, this cartoon seems like it'd be right up their alley until they're ready for the harder stuff.
of course, you can say they should have chosen a better character for the kids, but Batman is known to kids already, it can easily tie into the upcoming movie, and there's not many all-ages characters still standing these days as every hero comic i've seen has been injected with some type of darkness or maturity I wouldn't want a kid under 10 or so to see (effectively ignoring the all ages books).
Quote from: Previsionary on April 05, 2008, 10:03:56 PM
In case we all forgot, mainstream comics aren't super kid friendly anymore so if they want to get their batman fix and not be pounded with all the drama and darkness, this cartoon seems like it'd be right up their alley until they're ready for the harder stuff.
you heard it here first ladies and gentlemen, "fun batman" is a gateway drug. barricade the doors, lock your children away, and for goodness sake DO NOT TURN ON YOUR TELEVISION! :lol:
Quote from: Previsionary on April 05, 2008, 10:03:56 PM
Quote from: UnkoMan on April 05, 2008, 09:39:28 PM
Whoa... I had no idea everybody hated fun Batman so much.
Personally? I love the 60s series. I think it's fantastic. It's not "real" Batman, but so what? I think there's plenty of room for lots of interpretations of characters, especially those as well known as Batman. This could just end up being fun, energetic, and enjoyable.
If they used a completely different hero, would that make people feel better? Say a Blue and Gold cartoon? Does Batman always have to be dark and serious? How about if they had JLU era Batman? Constantly annoyed at everybody's perceived incompetence? Would that be better?
Anyhow, don't knock it just because it isn't B:TAS. There probably won't be another Batman like that for a good long time. In the mean time, just lighten up a little.
I agree, but I'm coming to realize that some comic fans want their depictions of the character portrayed every single time something is made. :P
Just to add my two cents, Batman is a character I rarely enjoy. His general attitude in the comics and his, "know it all before you do and I don't even need panel time or space to show when im figuring this stuff out," approach that certain writers use annoy me. Batman in JL/JLU annoyed me at times because they made use of the previously mentioned method. So, I'm not all that against a slightly newer approach for the character for a, get this, cartoon for kids to potentially enjoy.
Some comic fans need to jump out of that "bash bash bash" frame of mind when they see a comic revamped as a cartoon and think about the intended audience. I'm not opposed to them lightening up Batman for the kiddies to enjoy because they do need something superhero-related to latch onto. In case we all forgot, mainstream comics aren't super kid friendly anymore so if they want to get their batman fix and not be pounded with all the drama and darkness, this cartoon seems like it'd be right up their alley until they're ready for the harder stuff.
of course, you can say they should have chosen a better character for the kids, but Batman is known to kids already, it can easily tie into the upcoming movie, and there's not many all-ages characters still standing these days as every hero comic i've seen has been injected with some type of darkness or maturity I wouldn't want a kid under 10 or so to see (effectively ignoring the all ages books).
I'm not knocking it just because it isn't B:TAS. I can like a show that's more fun, or even more kid friendly; I don't need the characters to be depicted the same way every time. But a Batman show that's fun and kid-friendly, that's a hard-sell to me.
What I
do need to enjoy story-telling, is characters that make sense, which "Fun Batman" doesn't. Batman's whole reason for being is that his life isn't fun. It hurts the internal consistancy of the character and the setting to change that, and without good characterization, you can't have good story-telling.
A completely different hero would make me feel much better, provided it wasn't one that required an equally bad or worse characterization. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle would make good superheros to use in a young child-friendly cartoon, because you don't have to break the main points of their character to get that G rating. But because they aren't well known enough though, they'll only ever be guest stars or backup characters.
Since Batman is famous, he gets thematically-neutered and sent out to entertain the kiddies instead, and it's another case of market concerns trumping good story-telling. So I
will say that they should have chosen another character. Young kids may know of Batman already, but that's no reason for Batman to be targeted directly at them. Kids know about all sorts of characters that aren't really appropriate for them, from the Terminator, to the South Park kids to the Sopranos, but you don't see Soprano-Babies the animated series getting put into production. And the fact that it can tie into movie that kids of the 6-10 age group are too young to be seeing anyway isn't a great argument for this show's existence either.
If the character was popular enough, we'd probably see a Punisher cartoon coming out aimed at the 6-10 set, where he shoots petty criminals with his nerf gun. Is that the same character anymore? I would say not. But because it's happened to Batman before (comics once the Code went into effect, the 60s Batman show, others) people are okay with it being done again.
I guess my question is, for those who enjoy "fun Batman," how much does a character have to change before you stop seeing it as the same character? Are the logo and costume enough? Because once you take away the defining characteristics, something that's almost impossible not to do in a young child-appropriate context, that's really all you're left with - interchangable corporate logos and costumes used to push an inferior product on children and the undiscerning.
well, considering batman started out pretty campy and aimed at kids, that's a whole different scenario. Punisher didn't start out kid friendly to begin with and he never will be kid friendly in any way, shape, or form. Batman, however, was built up to be something kids would inspire to be initially because he could hang with the big dogs without the powers. Then his story and rogue gallery got darker and darker and we have the batman we know today. So, considering camp is in his nature and he's has 2 campy cartoons under his belt already, I don't know why an updated camp cartoon won't be ok if they handle it correctly. Batman doesn't always have to be dark and brooding. Heck, not even Angel (Buffy) was always dark and broody.
(yes, I am ignoring his initial pulp nature which disappeared pretty quickly)
edit: and no, the movie point may not be a great argument, but it's completely valid. We all know DC and Marvel start shelling out spinoffs/toons when they have the publics' interest with big budget titles. We also know that kids are going to see these movies, so let's not pretend they won't be there opening day with their parents/friends when we know many of them will be.
edit 2: How can we even comment on the story telling when we have no real story to go on?
edit 3: The other characters you mentioned weren't aimed for kids to begin with or marketed towards them. Batman was and still is marketed towards kids.
correct me if i'm wrong but in batman's first comics he shot people dead and basically kicked the living crap outta villains, not really kid friendly
Quote from: the_ultimate_evil on April 06, 2008, 04:05:12 AM
correct me if i'm wrong but in batman's first comics he shot people dead and basically kicked the living crap outta villains, not really kid friendly
notice i said im ignoring the pulp nature he started with as he got lighter as years went along (when robin showed up) and the camp nature was fully integrated by the time the adam west show was going on. It eventually died out but it was nowhere near as dark as it is today. Point being, even back then, comics were basically kid stories and batman was marketed for kids pretty early on and he still is today.
BTB, comics back then weren't nearly as graphic as they would be today, so that scene would probably be ambiguous and fine for a younger audience. If it weren't, we wouldn't have so many, "I grew up with this character as a kid and I've been collecting for 30+ years," people frollicking about.
Edit: Just to illustrate how tame and more "kid-appropriate" Batman's earlier appearances were compared to now, here's three scenes from his first appearance:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/premo/Batman/th_Detective27P03.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/premo/Batman/Detective27P03.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/premo/Batman/th_Detective27P05.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/premo/Batman/Detective27P05.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/premo/Batman/th_Detective27P06.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/premo/Batman/Detective27P06.jpg)
Now imagine those scenes drawn in today overly graphic style and the book effectively jumps from, "something a kid could see and not be scarred by," to "PG13/R rated violence". Even the shooting/stabbing scene was left tame enough so you get the general idea of what happened, but without the blood/actual bullet.
Quote from: the_ultimate_evil on April 06, 2008, 04:05:12 AM
correct me if i'm wrong but in batman's first comics he shot people dead
You're wrong.
Quote from: Previsionary on April 06, 2008, 03:06:57 AM
well, considering batman started out pretty campy and aimed at kids, that's a whole different scenario. Punisher didn't start out kid friendly to begin with and he never will be kid friendly in any way, shape, or form. Batman, however, was built up to be something kids would inspire to be initially because he could hang with the big dogs without the powers. Then his story and rogue gallery got darker and darker and we have the batman we know today. So, considering camp is in his nature and he's has 2 campy cartoons under his belt already, I don't know why an updated camp cartoon won't be ok if they handle it correctly. Batman doesn't always have to be dark and brooding. Heck, not even Angel (Buffy) was always dark and broody.
(yes, I am ignoring his initial pulp nature which disappeared pretty quickly)
edit: and no, the movie point may not be a great argument, but it's completely valid. We all know DC and Marvel start shelling out spinoffs/toons when they have the publics' interest with big budget titles. We also know that kids are going to see these movies, so let's not pretend they won't be there opening day with their parents/friends when we know many of them will be.
edit 2: How can we even comment on the story telling when we have no real story to go on?
edit 3: The other characters you mentioned weren't aimed for kids to begin with or marketed towards them. Batman was and still is marketed towards kids.
Well, you can ignore his early stories if you want to, but the genesis of the character wasn't terribly child-friendly, and neither have his stories been since the 70s. They'd be fine for an adolescent, but a 5 or 6 year old? No. In that first story Batman throws one criminal off the roof of a building, and punches another into a vat of acid. Sure, it's not rendered in a particularly graphic way, but that's still way more violent than Batman is normally depicted, even in the comics of today. I don't think that first story of Batman is particularly tame or kid appropriate for those reasons; as you mention, if it was drawn today it would be much more graphic, but I also doubt it would include Batman probably-killing two criminals. If Batman effectively kills two criminals in the first episode of this new cartoon, but in a non-graphic way, I'll eat my hat.
So yes, Batman was always marketed to kids, but not little kids, and that's the issue that bothers me. What a 10 or 12 year old is ready for is a lot different than a 5 or 6 year old, but it's the 5 & 6 year old market that they appear to be chasing with this new cartoon (as well as with a variety of Batman-themed toys that already exist). Why? Because while a 10 or 12 year old might like the show very much, 10 and 12 year olds spend less of their parents' money on toys. In a lot of instances, they've already graduated from actually playing with toys at that age (clearly not including video games). That's why Kids WB got increasingly less and less interested in airing the Bruce Timm DC cartoons - it wasn't that they got bad ratings, but that they skewed too old demographically. This cartoon isn't being made because they want to hook kids into comics, or that they think Batman should be fun, but because little kids buy more toys, and its easy to put out a crappy show, have a big toy line and make more money. Because the character of Batman isn't really appropriate for a 5 or 6 year old, he gets thematically-neutered, and since crappy, marketing-based story-telling is part of Batman's history already, that's fine. The logo & costume are enough to get little kids to watch (and a segment of the comic-reading public, who will complain and complain, but still watch everything with their favourite characters), and are the reason for those deplorable toys they have now, like aqua-buddy Batman, and Tickle-me Spider-man. These toys have nothing to do with the characters but a costume and logo, and are marketed at little, little kids. This cartoon appears to be a step-up from those toys, but it's still a marketing-based decision to alter the character for greater profitability.
And I can talk about the story-telling already, because character is a part of it. A Batman who is happy-go-lucky, jokey - "Fun Batman" basically - doesn't make sense as a character.
*shrugs*
Unless I missed some reading, and i probably have as i wasn't terribly interested to begin with and there's nothing but words to base anything off of, I don't know how we can talk about story telling from a photo and a guest list. Everything your debate is based upon is speculation as is everyone else and until the style or story is confirmed to be definite camp, or someone tells us what to expect, I don't see much there to judge except that single pic. Until things are further along, things can change and that could just be part of a title sequence for all we know.
Quote from: Talavar on April 06, 2008, 12:30:38 AM
I guess my question is, for those who enjoy "fun Batman," how much does a character have to change before you stop seeing it as the same character? Are the logo and costume enough? Because once you take away the defining characteristics, something that's almost impossible not to do in a young child-appropriate context, that's really all you're left with - interchangable corporate logos and costumes used to push an inferior product on children and the undiscerning.
Well, here's the thing... I don't see Batman being portrayed differently as such a big deal because he HAS had many different portrayals over the years. Just like I don't mind seeing Superman portrayed in so many different ways in different medium. People LOVE Smallville, and I appreciate it for making some people like Superman, but that isn't even close to MY Superman. MY Superman is more along the lines of All-Star Superman. MY Batman is more along the JLU style. But I enjoy seeing other interpretations.
On the other hand, take a character like Madman, or The Spirit whom I talked about, or something like that... they've only had ONE interpretation. That is who they are meant to be. Anything else isn't really the same character. And that means everything... the look, the way they act, their motives. Everything about them is consistent, and so they must be portrayed in the same way every time or it can never feel right.
Really, it might be the difference between mainstream characters and creator owned... With mainstream you have a million different people each giving their own interpretation on a character, their own little twists. Everybody's take is slightly different. They don't have the luxury of having one person controlling every aspect of them. So they get warped. They get bent. They get used for things that maybe they shouldn't. But, at the same time, it's interesting to see the different interpretations. Some might be enjoyed by one person, and some enjoyed by others.
I'd also like to ask... what do people think about Superman? Should he be kid friendly or no?
I'm gonna have to see more of it to really make up my mind, but it looks like a really good concept to me.
I think it's time to return to some Fun Batman. He's been doing the Dark Knight thing for too long now. I enjoyed the 60's series and I didn't watch it until like the 80's when it was on Saturday mornings (or was it afternoon?)
I think this could be a good series for those willing to relax and have fun with it. It may be better than The Batman.
Just to add another point in here before it gets glossed over... we talk about the "Fun Fun Fun" Batman being more "Kid Appropriate" as though somehow BTAS was a language and gore filled spectacle, which is rediculous. They may not have been teletubie-level happy happy fun time, but they were by no means inappropriate for younger audiences.
I've seen a trend for awhile, and if I'm wrong I encourage someone to correct me... For some reason people tend to assume a movie cannot be engaging for adults unless it has some absurd level of cursing or lewd dialogue strewn throught it, or that in order for a child to enjoy a cartoon or movie it must be dumbed down to such an extent that any measure of intelligence is beaten out of it. In essence a good chunk of people in media are stupidly(in my opinion) under the impression that nothing can be both popular and age-appropriate to children as well as engaging to people of an older age bracket.
In essence, that's what this feels like to me. Instead of trying to put some effort into doing something innovative, they're using bright colors and a mulititude of guest stars to mask bad writing and lack of imagination, using the "age-appropriate" banner to excuse themselves of responsibility. From what I've seen, children are just as happy to see a "darker" batman... And as someone who grew up with BTAS and TNBA, The fact that he wasn't as "Fun Fun Fun" as Spidey or X-men was what made him cool for me.
Now, Prev and others have made a valid point about the fact that none of us have seen it yet and several of us are making alot of predictions based on a few remarks made by the production team. And they're right, in the long run I could be wrong and the whole thing could be absolutely awesome, if a little lighter then some of us BTAS-groupies would prefer. However, there are also some issues with the information they've given us that more then warrent scepticism.
QuoteJones On Upcoming "Batman: The Brave and The Bold" Animated Series
April 08, 2008 by James Harvey
Ben Jones, ones of the directors for the upcoming Batman: The Brave and The Bold animated series, briefly talked to The World's Finest about the upcoming cartoon.
"I wouldn't mind trying to allay some of the fears expressed on various message boards," Jones told The World's Finest. "First, there will be an element of comedy, but that doesn't mean that we're skimping on the action.
"We're trying as hard as we can to make sure the action will be as amazing and exciting as any previous incarnation of the Batman," he added.
Jones wanted to assure fans that the series won't be making fun of Batman, but will instead tell stories about him in a slightly lighter style.
"Character-wise, Batman is still the same gruff perfectionist that he's been for the last twenty-five or so years," says Jones. "Everyone here is a Batman fan too, so we want to do right by him."
While he doesn't want to spill any specific details just yet, Jones says that fans will be excited about both the approach the show will take and vast amount of characters that will be appearing.
"I'm excited about what we're doing on the show," says Jones. "The geek in me wants to spend all day going on and on about cool it is to have certain characters or actors in the show, or some of the cool stories we're doing."
Stay tuned for more on Batman: The Brave and The Bold coming soon.
http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/ne...ullnews&id=121
Quote from: Tomato on April 08, 2008, 04:15:45 PM
Just to add another point in here before it gets glossed over... we talk about the "Fun Fun Fun" Batman being more "Kid Appropriate" as though somehow BTAS was a language and gore filled spectacle, which is rediculous. They may not have been teletubie-level happy happy fun time, but they were by no means inappropriate for younger audiences.
I've seen a trend for awhile, and if I'm wrong I encourage someone to correct me... For some reason people tend to assume a movie cannot be engaging for adults unless it has some absurd level of cursing or lewd dialogue strewn throught it, or that in order for a child to enjoy a cartoon or movie it must be dumbed down to such an extent that any measure of intelligence is beaten out of it. In essence a good chunk of people in media are stupidly(in my opinion) under the impression that nothing can be both popular and age-appropriate to children as well as engaging to people of an older age bracket.
In essence, that's what this feels like to me. Instead of trying to put some effort into doing something innovative, they're using bright colors and a mulititude of guest stars to mask bad writing and lack of imagination, using the "age-appropriate" banner to excuse themselves of responsibility. From what I've seen, children are just as happy to see a "darker" batman... And as someone who grew up with BTAS and TNBA, The fact that he wasn't as "Fun Fun Fun" as Spidey or X-men was what made him cool for me.
Now, Prev and others have made a valid point about the fact that none of us have seen it yet and several of us are making alot of predictions based on a few remarks made by the production team. And they're right, in the long run I could be wrong and the whole thing could be absolutely awesome, if a little lighter then some of us BTAS-groupies would prefer. However, there are also some issues with the information they've given us that more then warrent scepticism.
I think its true that media geared towards a younger audience can often be so insipid that it was as if the creators thought that children are idiots. But I also think there is a diffence between a light-hearted treatment of a character or genre and dumbing the character or genre down. For example, I thought Krypto was a great cartoon, one that treated the genre light-heartedly but with a fair degree of respect. True it was a talking animal cartoon, so it may be easier to move into that mode, but I don't think it is impossible to do with the major characters. At least this is my hope.
As far as using guest stars as flash to mask weak writing. We'll have to see on that one. However, I think that DC probably has 2 interrelated marketing concerns that it is trying to address. First, it is trying to introduce a broad array of characters to a younge audience, to encourage them to buy not just Batman products (i.e. comic books), but those of other characters, as well. Team and team up books were created as an attempt to cross pollinate comic consumers, after all. I bet the theory still applies; they have done team toons, why not try a team-up toon? Second, they are probalby looking to market a line of toys witht the series; again the toys should help suport DC's essential goal of selling comics. And I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to create such a line to encourage sustained interest. Now bear with me here, cause this is going to sound wierd. As the father of a Bat-fan (sorry to put my Dad cap on again, but it definitely colors my perspective), he has gotten many, many, many, many Batman action figures from his parents and others, some of which are merely repaints of previous molds, repackaged as another "new outfit." We are bat-saturated. So a toy line that is just Batman characters, to us, a likely set of consumers, is not particularly attractive. But a line with the new Blue Beetle? A Silver Age style Green Arrow? That has some more interest for us (I have to say writing this makes me feel really shallow, like we try to buy our son's affection or something; I don't want to give that impression). Maybe DC is responding to marketing research that has told them something along those lines. Just a thoguth anyway.
Quote from: Tomato on April 08, 2008, 04:15:45 PM
Just to add another point in here before it gets glossed over... we talk about the "Fun Fun Fun" Batman being more "Kid Appropriate" as though somehow BTAS was a language and gore filled spectacle, which is rediculous. They may not have been teletubie-level happy happy fun time, but they were by no means inappropriate for younger audiences.
I've seen a trend for awhile, and if I'm wrong I encourage someone to correct me... For some reason people tend to assume a movie cannot be engaging for adults unless it has some absurd level of cursing or lewd dialogue strewn throught it, or that in order for a child to enjoy a cartoon or movie it must be dumbed down to such an extent that any measure of intelligence is beaten out of it. In essence a good chunk of people in media are stupidly(in my opinion) under the impression that nothing can be both popular and age-appropriate to children as well as engaging to people of an older age bracket.
In essence, that's what this feels like to me. Instead of trying to put some effort into doing something innovative, they're using bright colors and a mulititude of guest stars to mask bad writing and lack of imagination, using the "age-appropriate" banner to excuse themselves of responsibility. From what I've seen, children are just as happy to see a "darker" batman... And as someone who grew up with BTAS and TNBA, The fact that he wasn't as "Fun Fun Fun" as Spidey or X-men was what made him cool for me.
Now, Prev and others have made a valid point about the fact that none of us have seen it yet and several of us are making alot of predictions based on a few remarks made by the production team. And they're right, in the long run I could be wrong and the whole thing could be absolutely awesome, if a little lighter then some of us BTAS-groupies would prefer. However, there are also some issues with the information they've given us that more then warrent scepticism.
B:TAS hit the 10+ crowd as the darker atmosphere and tone/subtlety of certain episodes and the following movies would be hard for the younger crowd to really grasp without help from someone older (and you cannot deny that bat:TAS hit some slightly dark topics. Freeze's story immediately pops into mind). I think this toon is trying to appeal to a larger gap to bring in more batfans and I think that's a good idea to keep his legacy going. Perhaps I'd be more up in arms if this toon fit into some type of continuity, but it doesnt. I will say that I wish they'd choose another hero since a Batman toon just ended. Wonder Woman is the only hero of the trio to not really get any solo love. :P
But yeah, it's not so ridiculous to think that B:TAS was hitting an older crowd, and particularly fans of the stories already, because of how the stories were laid out and the tones they played with as compared to...S:TAS or Spider-man: TAS which generally had a much lighter atmosphere and was action happy. The differences really came to light during the first meeting of Batman and Superman in that "World's Finest" movie. But then again, compared to today, the 80s/90s had a much larger array of toons that hit at several different age groups and that's something the 00s seem to be missing for the most part. Or perhaps I'm tired of the same formula being applied to the same general cartoon over and over? *shrugs*
@doctorchallenger: I completely agree. But while being more lighthearted isn't bad(I actually prefers Begins over Burton-flicks because it was a bit lighter), it can be taken to absurd levels (Forever, & Robin). And I'm sorry, reading "Fun Fun Fun" in reference to Batman does tend to make my mind drift back to some of the absurdity Batman has gone through.
As for the guest stars thing... I guess it depends on how they handle it. If they introduce core group of characters and expand on them, or do something like what JLU did and introduced a few characters over time and expanded on them, then I'm fine with it. The issue comes down to doing what I saw "The Batman" do a few times near the end, where today they had a "Batman and Flash" episode and the next a "Batman and Superman" episode, where the importance was on the guest rather then the plot. It's one thing to do that a few times for the fans, but it just doesn't work for an entire series.
@Prev: I guess my problem with the whole "dark topic" issue is that I don't think that, for the most part, makes any difference to those kids. It's one thing if you're using language and killing people in discriminately, because that does influence a child's mind. But what dark tones that do exist in batman don't really register to children... you bring up mister freeze's wife thing, but to a kid all that matters is why he has ice powers and that batman beats him.
I know that's an over-simplification, but I do think we get so caught up in things being darker then what we might wish that we forget that children don't care about them anyway.
But whatever. Most of my fears were laid to rest with the article Midnight posted (I still have a sense of "this could really go bad" but it's less of a probability now) and I'm content to wait and see.
All this is reminding me that I miss Batman Beyond.
New images (http://action-figure.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=ImageBank&file=index&id=86738)
Aquaman looks like Johnny Bravo with a goatee. Tee Hee!
I too hope this is lighthearted and not kiddie stuff. I think they can get away wiith it. Here's why:
When I was a kid, my favorite movie was Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. That movie's filled with sexual innuendos, murder, mild language, the works. But you know what? 10- year- old Lil' Hittie only saw cartoons coming to life, and Christopher Lloyd's hand turning into a giant buzz saw, which was pretty cool.
Same thing with Batman:TAS. Kids only see stuff if they're looking. If they don't know about the "dark & dirty," they won't be looking for it. So, for this show's sake, let's hope the writers had a similar revelation.
Red tornado looks alittle strange, with his metal plated shoulders?
I like Aquaman's look, although I think the beard ages him a bit too much. The only design I DON'T like (art style aside) is Red Tornado, who just looks REALLY weird to me. I suppose it's just the shoulder plates, but it just seems awkward. I didn't even recognize him as such when I first saw that image. I also think that bringing GA back to his Golden Age threads is a bad idea from a marketing perspective, as he's already got a decent amount of exposure thanks to JLU and "The Batman" in his more modern garb.
Okay, folks... Warner Brothers Animation has spilled the beans about the new toon at SDCC...
First up, take a look at the teaser trailer: http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0807/25/batsizzle.htm (http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0807/25/batsizzle.htm)
I'm pretty impressed with the old school feeling/look of the toon.. but it's also kinda odd having the new Blue Beetle among the cast.
For the full report click here: http://www.newsarama.com/tv/080725-comiccon-brave-bold-panel.html (http://www.newsarama.com/tv/080725-comiccon-brave-bold-panel.html)
- CrimsonQuill
Is that Kite-Man in the first few seconds? Awesome! :thumbup:
Colour me still unimpressed.
The animation looks pretty great, and I have to say I like the sixties flair to it, a-la New Frontier......however, the lack of Kevin Conroy is a huge black mark, and the inclusion of the new Blue Beetle is simply bizarre.
Eh, not saying I don't appreciate Kevin Conroy --- but it's nice to let other people have a go.
I mean, Batman has many different incarnations and styles. From the black and white serials with Lewis Wilson & Robert Lowery, to the 60's goofiness of Adam West and in the last 2 decades we've had not one ---- but 4 different actors portray Batman in their own style.
I'm looking forward to a different take on Batman and honestly, hearing Conroy as the voice again would distract me from giving it a fair chance as its own thing BECAUSE of how much I associate him with the previous animated series.
I liked the Sprang inspired style of the new series and seeing a little bit of action to it now, even has me more excited. I loved the music and the lines of the animation seemed similar yet so different from the previous animated series. The last one being heavy on the Japanimation influence and the previous a little bit, but not so much as so. Something about this animation seems so.... American. Again, its the Sprang thing I guess. But that music and the action.... it just rings out like classic Johnny Quest style fun. Thats something I've been GREATLY missing.
Can't wait to hear more about who'll be on the show as the partners and more of the villains.
RTT
I'm really conflicted about this show. I dislike the return to 70's style Batman. I dislike the choice of voice actor for Bats (this might change once I watch it). I'm not sure I like the tone and style they're going for.
On the other hand I love that they'll be using characters like Jamie Reyes, Plastic Man and Gentlemen Ghost - guys you'd never see in other Batman shows. Also the trailer was pretty good looking.
Well I'm a bit pumped. I think I might actually enjoy this quite a bit, presuming the writing isn't talking down and pandering to what they think kids want.
Looks ... surprisingly cool! I like the animation style, the action looks slick, and the character designs being used are interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpXSPJZr65s
Nice trailer. I too am now pumped!!!
A list of heroes and villians appearing in the show.
Source link (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=242)
Allies:
-Adam Strange
-Aquaman
-The Atom
-Black Canary
-Blue Beetle
-Booster Gold
-Deadman
-Doctor Fate
-Fire
-Firestorm
-Flash
-Green Arrow
-Green Lantern Corps
-Guy Gardner
-Huntress
-Justice Society of America
-Jonah Hex
-Kamandi
-Metamorpho
-Plastic Man
-Red Tornado
-Wildcat
Opponents:
-Black Manta
-Calendar Man
-Cavalier
-Clock King
-Gentleman Ghost
-Gorilla Grodd
-Emerald Empress
-Ocean Master
-Kite Man
-Kanjar Ro
-Zebra-Man
The latest from Newsarama...
QuoteNews of the new Cartoon Network Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon has been percolating since April, and now, CN has officially announced that the series will debut on Friday, November 14th at 7:30 pm. CN's release reads:
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (TV-Y-7)
Premieres Friday, November 14, 7:30 p.m. (ET, PT)
Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation present the latest interpretation of the classic Batman franchise, premiering Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The Caped Crusader is teamed up with heroes from across the DC Universe, delivering nonstop action and adventure with a touch of comic relief. Blue Beetle, Green Arrow, Aquaman and countless others will get a chance to uphold justice alongside Batman. Though still based in Gotham City, Batman will frequently find himself outside city limits, facing situations that are both unfamiliar and exhilarating. With formidable foes around every corner, Batman will still rely on his stealth, resourcefulness and limitless supply of cool gadgets to bring justice home.
Friday, Nov. 14: "Rise of the Blue Beetle! " - Batman and Blue Beetle team up to save an alien race from Kanjar Ro.
Friday, Nov. 21: "Terror on Dinosaur Island! " - Batman and Plastic Man thwart Gorilla Grodd's plot to devolve humans into primates.
Friday, Nov. 28 :"Evil Under the Sea!" - Batman aids Aquaman as Ocean Master and Black Manta team up to assassinate him.
As the above illustration suggests (and those who caught the preview footage at San Diego Comic-Con saw) the new series owes a stylistic debt to the blockier Batman of Dick Sprang rather than the more lithe versions of the most recent animated series.
The new series will be a break from the continuity of the previous series, and will be, as evidenced by the rating, aimed at a younger audience. As such, the series will not focus as much on Batman's mythology and milieu – the series will not have Commissioner Gordon, Robin, Alfred or, at the time of the SDCC panel, the Joker; but will feature guest stars and villains from across the DC Universe including those mentioned above as well as: Black Canary, the Atom, Adam Strange, Flash, Booster Gold, Deadman, Doctor Fate, Fire, Firestorm, the Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner, the Justice Society of America, Jonah Hex, Kamandi, Huntress, Metamorpho, Red Tornado, Wildcat, Gentleman Ghost, Calendar Man, Cavalier, Clock King, Despero, Sportsmaster, Zebra Man, and a fan-favorite "A-list" DC character.
The JSA as a whole will appear? Wow. Please let there be Sandman! Very intrigued with Jonah Hex making an appearance... flashback... time travel? Hyped about Adam Strange too.
Any guesses on the favorite A-Lister? I'm betting the boy in blue.
RTT
dont take this wrong but theyre wearing out spider-man,superman,x-men,fantasic four and batman.i wish they would go out on a limb and try animating different characters.
Lotsa goodies to be found here. (http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/batmanbb/)
Well, I've watched that little trailer on the official website, and I've got to say that it is nice to see current Blue Beetle & Plastic Man in animation. Maybe this'll be better than I thought.
I'd (big surprise) prefer that it be the classic Beetle, good 'ol Teddy, but they do have some REALLY funky design and character choices in evidence on that show. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing the King of the Seven Seas in his classic duds and beating the tar out of an Ocean Master that is actually in costume!
wait...wait...wait...
the premiere is on my birthday? That is NOT ok. *sues*...*sues Benton also for loving aquaman*
I am really excited for this! Looks like I have a reason to build that TiVo now...
(Oh, and I realize I'll be the only one to say this, but I dig the redesign of Red Tornado.)
Ted Kord would have been good too (especially if they had Booster Gold as well) but the new Blue Beetle comic series is one of those good, low-selling titles that could use a cartoon audience boost.
I don't know...I soooo loved Batman TAS (Adventures of Batman and Robin, etc...) and the Justice league (& JLU)....At least it looks better than that horrible The Batman series.
Dana
Quote from: cmdrkoenig67 on October 27, 2008, 08:35:20 AM
I don't know...I soooo loved Batman TAS (Adventures of Batman and Robin, etc...) and the Justice league (& JLU)....At least it looks better than that horrible The Batman series.
Dana
I feel ya', Cmdr. I'd kill to have JLU continue, or even spin-offs in the same universe. I would TOTALLY watch a Question series...or a Green Arrow/Black Canary series....or....really, anything. :P An Atom series could be cool, exploring subatomic worlds and all that....
Well, they may do the delayed When Worlds Collide JLA movie.
But, yeah,a spin-off series would be cool, but I doubt we'll see one.
Yeah, I really hope they manage to put that out. (Heck, they need to, Marvel's got tons of direct to DVD stuff coming out) JLA vs. Crime Syndicate would just be SOOO awesome. If they base it off Syndicate Rules, we might even get some Aquaman action as well. ;) But, I have no illusions about the possibility for a resurrected JLU show, of any stripe. I simply wish.
bah, DC/WB needs to release the TT movie already. I wouldn't call their New Frontier movie all that kid friendly, but they felt content to release it and show it on tv. I think WB could go the PG route and release many more direct movies. I long for the days where we got TAS bat movies and said movies weren't dumbed down or very kiddy at all. How times change!
Oddly enough...only Batman seems to get the PG+ ratings...and I guess he lends himself to that...
I really think the Timm-verse of DC shows is, sadly, done. Timm's doing other projects for DC that are unrelated, and most the other important members of his shows' creative teams have scattered to other shows or projects.
The best we can really hope for (aside from that Crime Syndicate DTV) is that new animated versions of these characters will be good. _The_ Batman I have no love for, but I hope Batman: Brave & the Bold will be better than I expect.
Early review for the first episode: Rise of the Blue Beetle (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/bravebold/guides/reviews/01bluebeetle/)
Waitaminute... Dietrick Bader is voicing Batman?! The guy with the moustache from Office Space!? I dunno...
Quote from: Previsionary on October 27, 2008, 11:31:09 AM
Oddly enough...only Batman seems to get the PG+ ratings...and I guess he lends himself to that...
Superman: Doomsday was actually PG-13.
QuoteWaitaminute... Dietrick Bader is voicing Batman?! The guy with the moustache from Office Space!? I dunno...
He's really funny. I guess this show is going for camp, so maybe the people who prefer campy Batman to cool Batman will like it. My guess is that Oswald/Rex/Lawrence will be doing his best Adam West impression. I wish they'd just try something different from the old campy stuff, it's funny, but not something I'd be eager to watch every week.
QuoteQuoteWaitaminute... Dietrick Bader is voicing Batman?! The guy with the moustache from Office Space!? I dunno...
He's really funny. I guess this show is going for camp, so maybe the people who prefer campy Batman to cool Batman will like it. My guess is that Oswald/Rex/Lawrence will be doing his best Adam West impression. I wish they'd just try something different from the old campy stuff, it's funny, but not something I'd be eager to watch every week.
Y'know, it's funny. I re- watched
Napoleon Dynamite last night, and if Bader does a voice similar to the one he used in that movie, it'll be a good fit.
Has anyone seen the trailer for Batman: The Brave and the Bold? It looks really good! Apparently Bats teams up with a classic DC hero each week against classsic DC villains. It has a definite Silver age look to it which is most excellent, imho. Apparently it is based on the comic series (though I'm not familar with it). The show is said to be lighter hearted than the comic series. Which is way cool to me as a change of pace. Some of the superheroes mentioned include (but not limited to): Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Aquaman (oh yeah! Aquaman!!!), Black Canary and Green Arrow. Green Arrow has a more old skool Silver agey look (no gotee)...yet Aquaman has a beard (hmmmmmmmmm...not sure what I think about that). But they all look great!
Well, here's a few links:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=16757649
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpXSPJZr65s
The trailer has some cool 60's back ground music that is again a nice Silver age homage.
Well, please chime in on this! What think ye???
Looks like great fun. I could use some lighter Bat-fare after the excellent but relentlessly grim "Dark Knight."
I think...this thread (http://freedomreborn.net/archive/index.php?topic=46624.0) covers it already.
Oh man! :doh: I searched for it and didn't find that thread. Well, my apologies!
Quote from: The Hitman on October 29, 2008, 10:24:53 AM
QuoteQuoteWaitaminute... Dietrick Bader is voicing Batman?! The guy with the moustache from Office Space!? I dunno...
He's really funny. I guess this show is going for camp, so maybe the people who prefer campy Batman to cool Batman will like it. My guess is that Oswald/Rex/Lawrence will be doing his best Adam West impression. I wish they'd just try something different from the old campy stuff, it's funny, but not something I'd be eager to watch every week.
Y'know, it's funny. I re- watched Napoleon Dynamite last night, and if Bader does a voice similar to the one he used in that movie, it'll be a good fit.
I agree Hitman, I think Bader can pull it off for sure given the possible campi'ness of this series. I personally like the animation style and the quasi-Silverage feel. So yeah, I'm still going to give this show a chance. My fellow fanboy son Noah and I will probably sit down with some pop corn and enjoy it. It's not like costs anything...except for time...and mental health I suppose. Lol!
I've merged the topics.
Thanks Randy! Anyway, the review isn't exactly encouraging to me...but color me hopeful, none the less. I won't pass final judgment until the Aquaman episode airs.
My nominee for best Batman voice ever is (drum roll please) Jeremy Sisto in "New Frontier."
Quote from: danhagen on November 08, 2008, 11:59:14 AM
My nominee for best Batman voice ever is (drum roll please) Jeremy Sisto in "New Frontier."
Kevin Conroy is Batman...it's that simple.
Quote from: BentonGrey on November 08, 2008, 04:10:29 PM
Quote from: danhagen on November 08, 2008, 11:59:14 AM
My nominee for best Batman voice ever is (drum roll please) Jeremy Sisto in "New Frontier."
Kevin Conroy is Batman...it's that simple.
Yeah it never sounds right whenever I hear anyone other than Conroy. Though I actually thought Rino Romano did a decent job.
Though I have to say, hearing Kevin Conroy's voice coming out of some of the different stylistic versions of Batman on the Gotham Knight DTV was kind of jarring at times. Nothing like hearing an elfin, anime styled Bruce Wayne talking with Kevin Conroy's voice.
Didn't the show premiere today? Did anyone actually catch it?
I watched most of it this morning. It was way better than I expected but still nothing I'm too excited about. It reminded me a little of Ben 10 Alien Force and Teen Titans. It was kinda weird how it opened up the series with Batman and Blue Beetle fighting aliens in space (Batman had a small face mask which enabled him to breath in space. LOL.). I didn't catch the beginning. Blue Beetle was cool, especially his suit and not so much his retardedness. Diedrich Bader's voice wasn't bad, but it still made me laugh because his voice is familiar. I still don't like the animation and the goofiness and Batman was kinda lame, overall I'd definitely say it's "Not Bad". Maybe a 6/10?
I watched it, it had a "retro" look to the art that I liked.
The early scenes with Green Arrow were not too bad, the escape bit was a little too corny, even for me.
Of course the original GA was a welcome sight, but I'm not a fan of that version of Blue Beetle.
Now that that episode is over, I can totally see me watching it.
Characters I'd like to see Batman team with:
Atom
Doctor Fate
Vigilante
Spectre
Hawkman
Plastic Man
among others of course.
Plastic Man is the next, I understand, with Bats on Dinosaur island.
Cool.
Quote from: chuckles on November 15, 2008, 03:24:18 PM
I watched it, it had a "retro" look to the art that I liked.
The early scenes with Green Arrow were not too bad, the escape bit was a little too corny, even for me.
Of course the original GA was a welcome sight, but I'm not a fan of that version of Blue Beetle.
Now that that episode is over, I can totally see me watching it.
Characters I'd like to see Batman team with:
Atom
Doctor Fate
Vigilante
Spectre
Hawkman
Plastic Man
among others of course.
Is Hawkman planned??? I didn't see him in the list. If so....that rocks!
I watched the first episode. I really liked it. I just view it as an alt universe version of Bats. I am having trouble viewing Bats as this comical. And he's a little low on martial skills and his super-duper...near whackiness gadgetry (like the mask and the pop up rocket wings) are a tad out of character for me. I definitely agree that the stand out character from this episode is the Blue Beetle. And not being overly tied to the comic version...I like this version just fine. I did like Green Arrow quite a lot as well. I definitley hope we see more of him. I also did like the occasional voice over commentary from Bats. Lastly, I like Bader just fine doing the voice of this version of the Dark Knight. Again, it seems entirely appropriate for a comical Bats to be done by Bader.
So, yeah, I'll be watching the show. The kids and I had a blast! Bring on Dinosaur Island and Aquaman!!!
Yeah, it would be really nice to see a Hawkman guest star in a series that didn't suck and was the classic version of the character (as the JLU one, while being cool, broke my heart).
Saw the first episode today. I'm going to refrain from a true opinion for now, let a few eps go in. When Clone Wars started I wasn't really impressed but the by now I think it's great - the same may happen here.
Blue Beetle was kinda annoying. I've never read his solo title but I've read him in TT and a couple other places and he never seemed so well useless. Still I love his design and it was cool to see him in the show. Ironic that they just canceled his comic.
Well, I'm sick as a dog and can't sleep tonight, so I tracked down the first episode of this show. I have to say...it isn't horrible, but I definitely am not impressed. The writing is pretty weak in places, the little cute 'laugh moment' bits with Blue Beetle doing double takes and stuff were sometimes cringe worthy, and Bader does NOT work as Bats in any way shape or form. BB got annoying quick, but Kanjar Ro was at least a semi-threatening villain. I liked their design for him. Some of the action was pretty good, but the anime-style still frame action shots...yeah, I hate those. All in all, if they tone down the cute, get a bit more practice with their writing, and have some better guest stars (the last one at least looks promising) it could be alright. I just REALLY hope they replace Bader. He just sounded way too much like himself. I kept having visions of Oswald in a Bat costume. Kevin Conroy could SO have done this, and the show would have more weight (while still being fun) for his inclusion.
I saw it this week and I didn't really mind it. It wasn't great, and it probably won't be my favorite show every week, but I thought it was somewhat entertaining. The animation was good even though I'm not a fan of the animation style and design for Batman. I actually didn't have a problem with the voices, I thought Bader's Batman was a little better than I expected, at times he actually reminded me a bit of Conroy. I'd definitely rather have Conroy in the role though.
Saw it for the first time and loved its Silver Age homage. Plastic Man, the Bat Plane, bat gadgets, Dinosaur Island, Grodd the Super Gorilla, zippy theme music — all great fun. A cartoon for Freedom Force fans if there ever was one.
Two episodes in and I'm greatly enjoying this show.
It's fun and light-hearted without being stupid and goofy. The animation, the music the action --- it really takes me back to the 60's animation style I enjoyed most and this cartoon has it in spades.
I'm really enjoying the set-up on the shows and the format. I feel like I'm getting a lot for my 30 minutes time without being weighed down by it. We've been dropped smack dab in the middle of the action with a quick caper that goes right into the next story. At least 2 heroes and villians (and name dropping!) have been in each episode with settings from Dinosaur Island to other worlds. It honestly feels like the DC Universe is wide open, has depth, on display and fully aware of itself. Its a nice change from being bogged down by numerous first meeting tellings and being anchored to the same settings.
No issues with Conroy not doing the voice. Perfectly happy with Bader. In fact, Conroy doing the voice would ruin it for me, since I have him so associated with Diniverse.
Looking forward to more.
RTT
Yeah, so I'm likin' this series more. I have no trouble with Bader doing Batman's voice. It lends to this particularly comical slant. I love the way that Bats can funny and yet still have a formidable edge to him. It's almost a dead pan type humor.
[spoiler]For example I thought was great how Batman played off of Plastic Man when they arrived on Dinosaur Island. Bats referring to the island being exempt somehow from the normal laws of space and time. And Plas asks how he came to that conclusion at which point Bats points over to the right and just says "dinosaur" which sends the duo running from the T-Rex. Good stuff! Plastic Man was hilarious! The shovel scene is a keeper! It great to see a cameo with Fire who looked appropriately retro'ish. [/spoiler]
I agree, this show seems tailor made for :ff: and :ffvstr: fans! Long live the Silver Age! Now I'm definitley looking forward to Aquaman next week!
[spoiler]The writers of the show apparently altered Plastic Man's origin somewhat to involve Bats (who wasn't actually involved in the comics). Which is ok with me. I just consider it artistic license or an alt universe or some thing (I mean how universe's does DC have already just in the comics? What's one more? ;) ). And the writers it seems tried to keep much of the character's continuity together. For example, Bats refers to his last name as O'Brien (which it is in the comics), he was in deed a thief before his accident, and Plastic Man says that he was once called "the eel" by others which is true to DC canon as well.[/spoiler]
Yep, likin' the show. :)
"Fluke," Batman thinks grimly. "The most obnoxious dolphin on the planet."
How can you NOT LOVE a series with lines like that?
Pretty easily, actually. That line was sorta' funny, though. Ha, no, really, I felt like this episode was something of an improvement, but the series still has a ways to go before I'll be all the way onboard. So, this episode:
Aquaman LOOKED great, most of the time. It was a huge treat to see Aquaman animated in (mostly) classic fashion. As a matter of fact, I even like the beard. I think that it looks quite regal, quite distinguished. Without the mullet (I blame so much on you PAD) the beard actually works. He moved decently well, but that animation style didn't do a great job of capturing his speed and grace under water. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't stellar.
I really like the IDEA of their portrayal of Aquaman as a fun-loving adventurer who enjoys the thrill of the heroic lifestyle, but like everything else with this show, it lacked subtlety. Aquaman comes off as a little stupid (the whole "The time I wore an eyepatch while infiltrating a band of pirates!" part made me shake my head. Come ON!) and a bit too full of himself. I think they could have gotten across the fun-loving bit without the 'dumb jock' aspect. I also really enjoyed the small amount of depth that we got with Aquaman and Orm's relationship providing something approaching a motivation. Don't take this the wrong way, I liked his portrayal over all, it's just that I felt it could have been done better.
Power wise, it was great to see Aquaman portrayed as super strong and super tough, but what was with him all of a sudden having hard water powers? I sorta' like the idea of him being able to create mini hard water "bombs" by rapid motion, like in Smallville, but it was like they just decided to give him Mera's powers for no good reason. It was cool for him to sword fight Narwhals, (how can you NOT like something like that?) but I think they should have stuck with his actual powers. They did a pretty good job with his telepathy (yay for the sound effect!) and they actually managed to walk the line between poor interpretations perfectly! In some early stories Aquaman just commands fish, but doesn't have any real bond with them, while PAD (once again, CURSE YOU!) took away his command, forcing him to "ask" fish to help, but he DID have a close bond with sealife. Here we see Aquaman beloved of ocean creatures but still commanding and being obeyed. He's King of the Sea, darn right! Speaking of which, I LOVED the part where Orm says, "You saved me?" To which Aquaman replies, "I'm the King...it's what I do." I didn't enjoy them screwing with Aquaman's origin story, although I was glad they included a nod to the classic story at the end: "my earliest memories are of a lighthouse." I understand why they did it, though, as Orm's story would be REALLY hard to explain in limited time, and I don't like that story anyway (thus my recasting of Orm as Aquaman's uncle in my eventual campaign).
Black Manta was awesome, deadly, and menacing, which is a definite plus (although Devil Ray was also awesome in JLU, at least we got Manta by his real name). I'm a little annoyed that they let Batman beat Manta, instead of Aquaman, but that is a very minor gripe at best. I would love to see another episode where Aquaman gets to go more head to head with his greatest foe. Orm was also cool, although I would have rather they show his sorcerous powers and not attribute to him telepathic abilities which he shouldn't have. That part where he costumed up was pretty awesome.
The plot was pretty decent, and I think the dialog was a bit better, with Bader grating on me a little less. I actually laughed at the bit in the whale, despite seeing it coming. All in all, I give it a B+, an improvement that has convinced me to keep watching.
:EDIT: Ohh, almost forgot, Aquaman's voice actor...not so great. He wasn't BAD, but he wasn't particularly good. At times he was alright, but at times he sounded like he belonged on Spongebob or Fairy Odd Parents, something like that. Aquaman needs just a touch more gravitas.
Dan, yes...I loved Fluke the dolphin and that it annoyed Batman!
Benton the Aquaman expert gave the episode a B+??? High praise indeed!
I won't say too much b/c Benton said most of my comments already. I would say that I diverge on a couple points. I thought the voice was...hmmmm...ok. Better than I thought it would be after hearing a few voice clips before watching the actual episode. The voice actor, Dimaggio (I only remember the guys name b/c he has the same last name as the famous baseball player) get's extra credit for having done the voice of the Scotsman from Samurai Jack ("Ohhhhhhhhh...I'm soooooooooooo afraid of a mon wearin' a bosket on ees hade!"). I LOVED that Aquaman was the kind of jovial, good natured, adventurer hero king. I mean...I've had it up to proverbial here with the angst ridden Aquaman. The old skool telepathy rings when he commanded the sea creatures was a nice touch (with sounds effects in tact no less!). Hmmmm...and I thought it was pretty cool Aquaman having hard water powers. Chalk it up to being an alt world Aquaman and your set!Oh...yeah...Aquaman was a bit too thick headed for me. But I did like how he was so devoted to his brother even beyond his misdeeds. Now that is worth more story telling about. That's a real hero!!!!
And hey, wasn't Black Manta cool and menacing???!!!! YES!!! I loved the big hologram of him in the middle of Atlantis gloating. Great bad guy!
Overall, I give the episode a solid A. LOVED it. Want to see it again!
Aquaman throwing waterballs? Wasn't that an homage to his 1960s cartoon series?
Quote from: danhagen on December 06, 2008, 07:34:10 AM
Aquaman throwing waterballs? Wasn't that an homage to his 1960s cartoon series?
Given the nature of the series, I'd say it is likely, but in the old show Aquaman didn't do it via hard water powers exactly, instead he did it in a similar way to Smallville. The hard water thing bothers me mostly because of Mera. It sorta' makes her seem useless, because the thing that she could do...well, now Aquaman can do it too. I know that's silly, as we'll probably NEVER see Mera do anything interesting on this show or any other, but I would really love to see her join in the adventures one day........with Aqualad. ^_^ I also really loved that we didn't get surly, angry, Namor lite with Aquaman here, that's what I meant when I said I loved the IDEA of his portrayal.
Quote from: Dr.Volt on December 06, 2008, 06:26:31 AM
I would say that I diverge on a couple points. I thought the voice was...hmmmm...ok. Better than I thought it would be after hearing a few voice clips before watching the actual episode. The voice actor, Dimaggio (I only remember the guys name b/c he has the same last name as the famous baseball player) get's extra credit for having done the voice of the Scotsman from Samurai Jack ("Ohhhhhhhhh...I'm soooooooooooo afraid of a mon wearin' a bosket on ees hade!").
John DiMaggio is the voice of Bender on
Futurama, as well as Toyman in the DC- Direct movie
Superman: Doomsday.
Sadly, I havn't had a chance to catch this series yet, but going by the reviews you guys are giving it, I'm sold.
Im kinda like Benton (on the show as a whole, not his thesis on Aquaman ;) )
The show is alright, and it does what its going for well, I just don't know if I'm sold on it. It seems to me that it crosses the line sometimes from silly fun superhero show to overly broad slapstick territory. And while that is entertaining for some, Its just not doing much for me.
Yeah, I feel that they need to pull it back a bit to engage a broader audience. We've seen it proven in the past that, if done well, that won't cost them younger viewers. In fact, it will challenge them to rise to its level, instead of feeding them something mindless. That being said, this show is NOT as bad as I thought it was going to be, so I'm not arguing for a total retooling, just a little more depth and texture.
ive only watched one.the blue beetle episode and its too silly/cartooney for me.watching batman bust out of a dog pile of huge aliens did me in.
Tomorrow night is going to co-star Red Tornado and a villain that I'm not at all familar with...Fun Haus (in fact a cursory search of Google and Wikipedia turned up very little about this villain...now THAT is obscure!). Here's the brief description of Invasion of the Secret Santas!:
"Batman and the Red Tornado take on the evil Fun Haus, who plans to ruin Christmas with a crime spree." Ba-Hum-Bug!
Granted this version of Red Tornado looks different. Even so, is anyone planning to watch it? I will be!
Btw, here are some pics from the episode: http://www.comicvine.com/batman/29-1699/red-tornado-appears-on-batman-brave-bold/92-378655/ (http://www.comicvine.com/batman/29-1699/red-tornado-appears-on-batman-brave-bold/92-378655/) It looks pretty good! I gotta say, as a general observation, I love this shows retro'ish-silver-agey look still! Of course, this Christmas themed show can't possibly top the famous Tick episode with the Multiple Santas!
I love Christmas! It even makes good themes for slug fests!
Cheers!
You know...I like Red Tornado a lot. In fact, I like him a lot more than his publication history likely warrants, but then again, I tend to see the potential in characters, even when not written terribly well...or often (Aquaman, anyone?). It just so happens that one of my first JLA campaigns involves his origins...so maybe I'll get to write about him soon...ish...I don't know anything about Fun Haus, but last weeks episode earned the B:B&B team a little bit of the benefit of my doubt. I'll watch, and hopefully have a merry time.
Forgive the double post...but I want to post about this, and no one else has done so!
Well, I watched it...and I had a VERY merry time! This was actually a really good episode. It still wasn't Timm good or anything, but it actually did a lot of what I wanted this show to do. In a very small amount of time they showed me something important about both Red Tornado and Batman. Tornado's desire to experience the Christmas spirit, although really hackneyed, totally worked for me. The (oh-my-gosh-I-can't-believe-I'm-typing-this) almost subtle early notes about Batman's antipathy to Christmas were also touching. Ha, did anyone else think about how much WORSE his tragedy was if he had just been a little pain to his parents when they died? Man, that is sorta' terrible. Anyway, I still don't like RT's design, although having it actually play a part in his powers made me dislike it less. I LOVED RT's description of archeology. It makes it an absolutely perfect career for him. (On a random note, has anyone ever thought about just how many archeologist superheroes there are? There are a bunch of them!)
I told myself that I was going to cut this episode some slack, as all Christmas episodes are a little goofy by nature, so I was certain this one was going to be painfully so. I was was pretty sure I was right when the "aliens" invaded, but they actually turned that around remarkably well. Other than Batman punching THROUGH bowling b-a-l-l-s (I understand the need for the sensor to catch this word, but it certainly looked odd to read bowling jimmies), the ridiculous was at a fairly low level this episode. Ohh, and I actually really enjoyed Bat's fight with the Sportsmaster. It wasn't anything special, but it was well done. All in all...I've gotta' say, this was, by a decent margin, the best episode they've had so far. If they can keep things at this level of depth compared to action and silly...well...I won't complain anymore. It could still be better, but I could thoroughly enjoy a show like this. I think my favorite part of the episode is when RT "gets" the meaning of Christmas...not just giving, but sacrifice...that was fairly awesome on multiple levels.
Great comments, Benton. Ditto! I really actually enjoyed RT more than I even thought I would...and I really like this series. I loved RT's quest to experience Christmas Spirit. It was actually very touching. I liked Fun Haus as a villain...but somehow I don't think they did enough with him. But it might just be that there wasn't enough time. Definitely one of the best episodes so far. I have hopes that it will continue to improve.